Culinary adventures galore....

Hey y'all!

  Well, yet another week has gone by, and I'm still shocked at how quickly time is flying.  We had a good week this last week; I think we had our interviews with President Woods...was that this week?  DANG.  It doesn't seem like it.  Anyway, President and I had a good talk.  He asked me if I was nervous about going home; I told him that I was a little.  We talked a lot about Oakdale, and what can be done to continue to help the area grow.  Sounds like they'll be keeping a trio of sisters here as long as they can.

 

What else happened this week?  We had our investigator, Joanna, make it to church!  Tender mercies from the Lord!  And thank heavens for Sister Sherwood!  She had gone to pick up Joanna before church, and when Joanna didn't answer, she came without her.  But after sacrament, Sis. Sherwood told us that she was going to go back to check on Joanna, because she felt very strongly that she needed to.  And lo and behold!  Joanna was ready, and they made it to the last half of Sunday School, and all of Relief Society!  We were so excited.  Joanna is working towards being baptized at the end of the month, so everyone, keep her in your prayers!

 

We also had a good lesson with the Darvonnes on Friday night.  We talked about the power and importance of prayer.  Sister English and I shared the story of the brother of Jared with them.  We helped them see how God expects us to put in the legwork sometimes before He gives us an answer.  We challenged them to come up with multiple plans to help themselves quit smoking, since just praying about it wasn't enough.  We also firmly committed them to pray as a family.  I really felt an urgency to help them see how vital prayer was, and how much protection it provides us.  I got teary-eyed, and bore my testimony the very best that I could.  I felt the Spirit, and I think that they did as well.  They promised to have family prayer every night, and we promised them very specific blessings for their family if they would do it.  I asked Chris, "Do you trust this promise because it's coming from me as your friend, or because it's coming from me as a servant of Jesus Christ?"  It made him think a little bit, and he answered, "Well, both, but mostly the second one."  Hopefully he really understands that.

 

I love being able to tell people that it's not me promising them that their lives will be better; because, seriously, what do I know?  I'm just a 23 year old kid!  I know basically nothing about how almost anything works. And yet, I know that when I promise blessings to someone for following the Lord, I know that they'll be fulfilled.  Why?  Because I am His servant, and He promised me that He would use me to help His children.  I have been called by the prophet of God, and set apart to serve Him here.  What greater joy could I ever know?  I only get to have it for a little longer, and then It'll be time for a new stage of life.  But as for right now, I'm using that power that has been given to me to help as many people as I can, and to bear my testimony as often as I can, because I know that's what my Father wants me to do.

 

The gospel really does bring us joy.  I promise it does.

 

I love y'all!

 

Your Friend in the Faith,

Sister P.

 

P.S.  Oh!  I almost forgot to tell y'all why I titled this entry, "Culinary adventures galore..."  Hee hee hee.  I love the South---specifically their cooking.  We stopped to grab some grub at a little cafe in Oberlin, and Sister Thomas, Sister English, and I about gave ourselves a heart attack because of what we ate.  Fried okra, fried pickles, fried shrimp poboy, and for dessert: fried Twinkie and fried Oreos.  Yup.  Bring on the clogged arteries.  I can pretty much guarantee you that I will never eat all of that at the same time again.  And that is the first and last time I eat the fried Twinkie and fried Oreo.  They tasted so good, but ugh.  I felt just gross afterwards.  :)  So, yup.  Add that to my ever growing list of interesting foods here in Louisiana.  See y'all later!

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